Champions and Special Award Winners Honored at 2023 Lanco Banquet

By Kasey Kreider

On November 11th, the 2023 Lanco Banquet was held at the Ephrata American Legion Post 429. The banquet honored the champions and all drivers in attendance for their achievements during the racing season, while the annual array of special awards were announced and given out as well.

Jason Swavely was honored for both of his championships in the Hyper Racing Winged 600 division and in the 270 class. In 13 points-paying feature event starts, Swavely never finished outside of the top 10 while racking up five wins and nine top 5s throughout his Winged 600 campaign. The 270 division was a similar story for the Fleetwood native, as Swavely won six times and recorded an astounding 12 top-5 results through 14 A-Main starts.

Four special awards were once again given out in each division in 2023. Honors were given out for Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Driver, Best Appearing Car, and Sportsman of the Year.

Marvin Albright was awarded Rookie of the Year honors in the Hyper Racing Winged 600 class after a 13th-place points finish in his debut season. Shannon Slaughter capped off her first full-time Winged 600 season with two awards, as she picked up hardware as the division’s Most Improved Driver while also garnering the Best Appearing Car honors. Holden Eckman received honors as Sportsman of the Year.

In the 270 division, Carter Weiant claimed Rookie of the Year honors. Tommy Rinck took two special awards, as he was honored as Sportsman of the Year and also was voted as having the Best Appearing Car. The Most Improved Driver honors went to Kyle Lindsey after a season that saw him win once and finish third in points.

Jason Swavely claimed his second Hyper Racing Winged 600 championship in 2023. (Photo Courtesy of Amy Williams/Amy’s Photos)

Jason Swavely broke through for a 270 championship at Lanco, splitting time between his own No. 14 and Bill Schenck’s No. 92. (Photo Courtesy of Amy Williams/Amy’s Photos)

Marty Brian was crowned as the second champion of the Hyper Racing Wingless 600 division. Brian’s season was an impressive one, as despite missing a race, the Ephrata native had the title locked up entering the final points night of the year. Brian’s championship came off the strength of two feature wins, 10 top 5s, and a top-10 finish in all 13 of his starts.

Lukas Kostic claimed Rookie of the Year honors with a top-10 finish in the point standings. In addition to his championship, Brian was honored as the division’s Most Improved Driver. Second-place points finisher Dominic Schmidt received Sportsman of the Year honors, while third-place finisher Ryan Groff was given the accolade for the Best Appearing Car.

Marty Brian used a very strong season to claim the championship of the Hyper Racing Wingless 600 class. (Photo Courtesy of Amy Williams/Amy’s Photos)

Bret Cronrath made it a three-peat in the Skeet Craft Collision Sportsman class, as the Blandon driver came out on top of a season-long battle with Josh Stoyer to claim another Sportsman title. Cronrath won six times in 2023, with 11 top 5s and 12 top 10s in 14 races.

Brandon Worthington took home Rookie of the Year honors in the class. Stoyer received Sportsman of the Year honors, while Max Fasnacht claimed the title of Most Improved Driver. Justin Harrington was voted as having the Best Appearing Car aboard Jake Dupler’s No. 1J.

Bret Cronrath once again proved to be king of the hill in the Skeet Craft Collision Sportsman class, as he claimed his third title in a row. (Photo Courtesy of Amy Williams/Amy’s Photos)

And as for Harrington, he claimed his second 125/4 Stroke championship in three seasons, and made it three in a row for the Harrington Motorsports team. The Manheim native recorded three feature victories and a whopping 12 top 5s while only finishing out of the top 10 once in his 14 starts.

Sam Davenport earned Rookie of the Year honors in the class, while Don Hess was voted as the Most Improved Driver. Dylan Yeingst was recognized as Sportsman of the Year, and Steve Simmons took home the Best Appearing Car award for owners Kevin St. John and Joe Sanders.

Justin Harrington added a second championship trophy to his collection in the 125/4 Stroke class. (Photo Courtesy of Amy Williams/Amy’s Photos)

In addition to awards amongst the drivers, Kerry Kreider was recognized with the 2023 President’s Award. Kreider was given the award for his dedication to the club, particularly through several offseason projects which included the installation of a new guardrail at the track. Kreider was presented with the award by Lanco President Toby Blumenshine.

With the 2023 season in the books, plans have already been in motion to make the 2024 season another one to remember. The tentative schedule was released on November 24th. Although some details have yet to be finalized, the season will once again kick off with the No Wing Spring Fling on Saturday, April 6th.

The first of 18 scheduled points races will be held on April 13th in the form of the Jeff Widders Memorial. The members-only points opener will honor the longtime Lanco member who passed away in September.

The “Months of Money” begin with a special Thursday Night Thunder edition of the 4th of July Spectacular. The event, held on July 4th, will feature both Winged and Wingless 600s in addition to the 270s.

After the thrilling finishes of the past couple of years, the Finale of Hyper Racing 600 Speedweek will once again be held at the Clyde on Saturday, July 20th. The event will serve as the culmination of the seven-race mini-series for Wingless 600 competitors and the new Junior Sprint division.

The Clyde Martin Memorial will make its return on July 27th as the annual 35-lap, double-points event in honor of all Lanco members who are no longer with us. After an off week, the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota makes its highly-anticipated return on Saturday, August 10th. This season, the Clyde will serve as the final race of Appalachian Midget Week.

The Labor Day Shootout will run from August 30th through September 1st, featuring the Cornhole Tournament Friday, the Winged Night on Saturday, and the Wingless Night on Sunday. The Sunday show will also once again feature the Stage 1 Modifieds.

Three-straight points races will cap off the 2024 season, culminating with Championship Night on September 21st. All five track champions will be crowned in the final event, while the All Star Slingshots will also be on the docket for a mega night of racing to bring down the curtain on the 2024 campaign.

The Lanco Micro Midget Club would like to thank all competitors, fans, and supporters for a great 2023 racing season. In less than four months, we’ll all be back to once again LIVE the excitement that is Lanco!